The 659th Subscription Concert 2024.February.24（Sat）17:00～
/ February.25（Sun）13:00～ Sapporo Concert Hall; Kitara

© Martin Richardson

Tadaaki Otaka（conductor）

Born in 1947, Otaka has been regularly appearing in major orchestras in Japan as well as guest conducting the London Symphony, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and many other orchestras worldwide. In 1991, Otaka received the Suntory Award, and in 1997, was awarded the CBE from Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his outstanding contribution to British music life, and the Order of the Rising Sun from Cabinet Office of Japan in 2021. He was conferred an Honorary Fellowship from the Welsh College of Music and Drama in 1993, and holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wales. He is also the first Japanese ever to receive the Elgar Medal in 1999. Moreover, he has been presented Arima Award (from NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo) in 2012, Hokkaido Cultural Award in 2014, Kansai Music Critic Club Award, Osaka Culture Festival Award and HBF (Hoso Bunka Foundation) Award for Broadcasting Culture, all in 2018 and the 49th JXTG Music Award (The ENEOS Music Award): Western Classical Music Division in 2019. Otaka currently holds positions of Permanent Conductor of NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, Music Director of Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Honorary Music Director of Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Honorary Guest Conductor of Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Honorary Conductor Laureate of Kioi Hall Chamber Orchestra and from 2021, is the Chief Juror of Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting. He is also Honorary Professor of Tokyo University of the Arts, Visiting Professor of Soai University, Kyoto City University of Arts, and Kunitachi College of Music, and from 2021,　is the Chief Juror of Tokyo International Music Competition For Conducting. (as of December 2021)

© Anne Laure-Lechat

Michiaki Ueno（Cello）

Michiaki Ueno's eloquent performance and charisma spellbind the audience. He has been praised for his unique yet natural musicality and superlative technique. It is unsurprising that Yo-Yo Ma hailed him as a „fabulous cellist“. Born in Paraguay in November 1995, Michiaki started his cello study at the age of five in Japan. In 2001 he moved to Barcelona, Spain, where he studied with Iñaki Etxepare. After returning to Japan in 2004, he studied at the Toho Gakuen College Music Department, Soloist Diploma Course with a full scholarship under the tutelage of Hakuro Mohri. In 2015, he moved to Germany, where he studied with Pieter Wispelwey at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. In 2021, he became an artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, where he studies with Gary Hoffman and Jeroen Reuling. In 2007, at the age of eleven, he gave his first concerto performance at the prestigious Suntory Hall, playing the Lalo Cello Concerto. This later led to his success in becoming the first Japanese to win the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians held in 2009 at the age of thirteen. A year later, he won the first prize in the Romanian International Music Competition along with the Romanian Embassy Prize and the Romanian Radio Culture Prize. In 2014, he won the first prize in the International Johannes Brahms Competition. His most recent title was the first prize in the Geneva International Music Competition (2021) along with three special awards, including the Young Audience Prize. He has received masterclasses from Steven Isserlis, Frans Helmerson, Ivan Monighetti, Miklós Perényi, and Jian Wang among many other great maestros. He has been invited to Music Festivals around the world such as the Festival Périgord Noir, Montpellier Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival, International Music Festival Nippon, and Takefu International Music Festival. As a soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and New Japan Philharmonic among many other orchestras. As a chamber musician, he has shared the stage with artists including Jean-Guihen Queryas, Daniel Sepec, Jose Gallardo, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and Akiko Suwanai. Michiaki has received numerous awards such as the “Foundation for Youth Award” (2011), the “Honorable Award” (2015) from Iwatani Tokiko Foundation, the “Aoyama Music Prize” (2017), and the Idemitsu Music Award (2022) as a promising rising star. He has been generously supported by the Japan Federation of Musicians, Rohm Music Foundation, Ezoe Memorial Recruit Foundation, Dr. Sieghardt Rometsch Stiftung, and Dr. Carl Dörken Stiftung. Michiaki plays a P.A.Testore cello on loan from the Munetsugu Collection. (from https://www.michiakiueno.com/about )